Teaching for Understanding

Hello Family,

Thanks again for all of the letters and prayers. I am doing better and better every day, line upon line precept! In todays letter I would love to start by sharing a quick story. I taught a boy named Mawuniga this week, I taught him will my
companion interview someone else. I taught him about the sacrament, he barely speaks english but the mission rule is if they want to learn and are trying to learn english they can be baptized. Anyways i was teaching him and I felt like I was doing a really good job to teach about the symbolism simply, so he could understand. I Didn't really ask him questions to see if he understood because it is hard for him to explain things in english, so when my companion came back he asked him what is learned in his language. He responded that we take the sacrament to pray for people that had their hands cutoff. It was funny at the moment but it has taught me to teach for understanding and to
work on my Ghanaian-English. I can understand almost anyone easily now but I still confuse people all the time. I am very good at speaking slowly but I have to work not saying "R's" which is hard. So my name
is "Elda L."

[Personal message to family member.]

You can pray for Sister Rose and her three children as well as her husband Emmanuel. Emmanuel is less active and we want to activate him so he can baptize the rest of his family. Also Pray for brother Promise, he is the boy from
takala I told you about. He is amazing and I mean AMAZING! Yesterday he biked an hour to get to church. His bike broke half way to church and he kept saying the Devil can't win! Please pray for him to continue to be strong! I don't think you need to send me with much from sister dunn: maybe just a treat or two would be nice, what I would really like is one of the pictures that dad and I drew when I was like 6. He promised when i would served a mission he would send them to me. Don't send them all, just one! I can't wait for all conference, all of Ho knows your in the Choir! You could also send the requirements for the tab choir, it is my companions dream, Just like it was yours!

Dad, to answer some of your questions, we live in a place called housing Junction I am not really sure how to describe it to you are give you any landmarks either. But I will try to figure it out this week. You would be happy to know the home of the person we first baptized has the Marlboro Man Painted on the wall right outside the
door! Another thing you won't believe is......... I found a store that has Black Current Jam!! It cost a bit but I don't care at all! It has helped me feel at home, I have never eaten so much bread in one week in my life! This week ten kids followed me for like a block because like always i'm white. Its a parade everywhere I go, just like andrew warren said it would be.

[Personal messages to family.]

I hope all is well, I am praying for you and I can always fill your prayers!

Love, Elder L.

Week 2 in Ho

Dear Fam,

I wish I could take several hours and write you all personally but I don't have enough time to write you all. I wrote mom and dad letters and gave them many of the details from this week, so have them forward their letters and this one as well! I am so greatful for all of your prayers, fasting & letters, they have really strengthened me. I was so pumped and ready to be invincible, teaching with power, talking to everyone, and just being a great missionary. I knew it would be hard, but I thought because of my excitement to be here I would not be affected. haha I don't know anything, about what it would be like, how to teach, scriptures, names, faces, the area. Its been good for me though, I have been humbled like I have never been before in my life. [Personal information.] Right now I don't talk a lot because I am still not great at teaching but I am still serving my purpose despite this because everyone wants to talk to me, and if they talk to me I am still able to plant seeds even though sometime I feel like I don't know whats going on.

Your letters have really, really helped. Its great to hear all of your updates! [Direct messages to siblings.] I love you all so Much, I am greatful to have such a wonderful family that can help lift their baby brother when he needs them most! Next week I will do a better job in my letter and hopeful I will be able to write you all personal letters, I will also write more about what its like and whats going on but I thought I would tell you I will live, I will learn, I will love it! I know these experiences will eventually help me teach, because people here are so humble so I will be better because I have been humbled. I love you all, I know the lord wants me here and he will not put anything in my way I cannot handle!

Love, Elder Andrew L.

[Editor's note: Andrew had sent a previous letter that he asked not to have put on the blog.]